6 Tips for Planning Your Christmas Budget Now

This post may contain affiliate links, including links to Amazon. When you click on them and make a purchase, I receive a small commission. See my full disclosure here.

Taking the time to sit down and make a plan and budget for the upcoming Christmas season will not only save you time but also money! Check out these 6 tips to plan your Christmas budget NOW!!!!

I know what you are probably thinking… fall hasn’t even officially begun (according to the calendar). You just pulled out your sweaters and boots and are eagerly waiting for the temperature to start getting a little cooler to enjoy drinking your Pumpkin Spice Latte sitting in a pumpkin patch watching your kids play on the hay bails.

Fall is my favorite season of all and I don’t like to rush through it, especially when it comes to Christmas planning. But here is a startling fact… there are only 13 weeks until Christmas.

Which means, give or take, you have 12 weekends remaining to do any Christmas shopping and if you are one who likes to avoid the crowded malls and shops during the month of December, then you only have 10 weekends before Black Friday weekend after Thanksgiving.

So if you are hoping to get your Christmas shopping done before then, you better get busy!

Some of you are reading this with no sweat because you have your Christmas shopping done, or mostly completed or planned out because you plan all year and look for deals. For the rest of us, myself included, we need to get a plan in place now so that we can truly enjoy the seasons of fall, Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up.

It is so easy to enter into the holiday season with the mindset that you don’t need a budget or a plan because you have a good idea of how much to spend. While you might have a good idea, there is also a strong possibility that your budget will be blown and you will be looking at some pretty hefty credit card receipts come January with the sad realization that you have to start a new year with some serious spending habits changed.

I’ve been there and done that, trust me it’s not a fun way to begin a fresh new year.

So even though we are here in mid-September and just beginning to get back into a school routine after summer and enjoying our fall days, it’s important to set aside a few minutes over the next week or two and get a plan in place for how you will spend, or save, your money during the upcoming Christmas season. If you’re clueless as to where to even begin, I’ve got 6 tips to help you plan your Christmas budget now. Are you ready to get started?

6 Tips for Planning Your Christmas Budget Now

1. Meet with your Spouse

Do you have previous years when the budget was busted during the holiday season causing tension with your spouse? I do and it’s definitely not a fun discussion when you are sitting there looking at the numbers and realizing you overspent.

Before you even begin to create a budget, spend some time discussing what your holiday plans should be with your husband. Ask for his input on how to help curb overspending. When the two of you are on the same team, setting up a budget (and sticking to it!) is a much more enjoyable process.

2. Set a Budget

Once you and your husband are on the same page as to how you will plan for the upcoming holiday season, now is the time to set an actual budget of how much you will spend.

Think through of how much you spent in previous years and decide if that was too much, just right or not enough.

Don’t just focus on how much you will spend on gifts either. Include food costs if you will be hosting a meal. Or will you send out Christmas cards, take a family portrait, buy some new decorations? How much do you plan to spend on charitable giving?

Think about all the things that you purchase during the holiday season that should be added to your Christmas budget.

A lot of overspending comes when we just focus on the Christmas gifts themselves and not the other Christmas related items you buy during the holidays.

Some even find it helpful to set up two Christmas budgets, once specifically for gifts and another specifically related to food, decorations or other expenses. We personally just have once Christmas budget that we divide up into the appropriate categories but you need to be able to set up a budget that will work for you so that you can stick with it during Christmas time.

3. Create a List of Who to Buy Gifts For

Once you know what your budget will be then it’s time to start a list of who you will actually be purchasing gifts for. Usually, the bulk of our gift giving funds go to our immediate family including children and spouses, but you probably also plan and purchase gifts for grandparents, extended family members, teachers, pastors or others who you interact with on a daily basis.

Make a list of all the people you have given gifts to in the past or those who you would like to purchase for.

Once you have a list made then start thinking about if you can really afford to buy a gift for everyone according to your budget. Sometimes it’s no fun to not be able to purchase an actual gift but there are so many other ways to bless that person during the holiday season, I’ll share some more tips about that below.

If you are super App savvy, there are also some fun Christmas list apps that can help you track who to buy for, what to buy them, how much to spend and how long you have left to purchase your gifts. Some include:

4. Assign a Dollar Amount to Each Person

Once you have a list of all you can afford to buy for, now is the not-so-fun part of assigning a dollar amount to each person. For those of us who love to draw our inspiration from the store while we are shopping this can feel limiting but in reality it helps us to be more intentional about what types of gifts we buy for each family member.

No more buying fluff but instead, we are purchasing quality gifts.

For example, if I know that I only have $50 to spend on each of my children, I want to carefully think through some gifts that are not only fun, and sometimes practical, but are also meaningful. I strive really hard to make sure that we follow a simple gift-giving strategy of something fun, something needed and something to help grow their faith.

When my son was little, he loved trains. One year I knew we wanted to buy him a train table and train set for his Christmas present. Due to some extensive planning (because those things aren’t cheap) I was able to score a super discounted one (similar to this one) on clearance back in September, months before Christmas.

If I didn’t have a plan in place I would have missed out on that deal and would have probably blown our whole Christmas budget. But thanks to my planning, and with the help of some contributions from grandparents as well, I was able to purchase the table and a complete set for less than $70, which is my opinion is steal compared to full priced train table sets.

Now, are you beginning to see why having a plan in place is so important? You can be on the lookout for killer deals long before the holiday rush begins!

5. Create a Shopping Plan

Now that you have a budget, a list of who you will buy for and a good idea of how much to spend on each person, it’s a good idea to start thinking through a shopping plan. I like to jot down a few ideas of gifts next to each person’s name on my list. This helps me to start thinking through ideas as well as to get an idea of how to spend the money that I have allotted for each person.

Think of what you purchased for them last year, for example with the grandparents it’s pretty easy since we usually get them a photo calendar or photo book of the kids throughout the year. Grandparent’s love those sorts of things!

Also think through how you will shop. Will you shop mostly online (as I do because it’s super convenient) or do you love actually going to the stores? Are you hoping to beat the holiday rush by shopping before Black Friday or does the thrill of the crowd excite you?

Thinking through your actual shopping plans will allow you to jot some dates on your calendar to help you set aside some time to actually go out and get your Christmas shopping done, from now until December 24th.

Here are a few important dates you should be aware of in your Christmas shopping plan:

Black Friday is November 23, 2018

Cyber Monday is November 26, 2018

Free Shipping Day is Friday, December 14, 2018

Usually some of the best deals can occur during those dates if you are willing to wait and shop with the crowds. But as I mentioned before, don’t be afraid to start looking at clearance deals now, like I did with the traintable.. You might be pleasantly surprised by some markdowns of retailers as they are making room for all their Christmas inventory.

6. Decide How to Bless Others

You probably won’t be able to afford to purchase gifts for everyone that you would like to but there are super easy and frugal, often times free, ways to spread a little Christmas. For exampl,e I like to use some of my Swagbuck points to cash in for $5 Starbuck’s gift cards. Those are great to place in a dollar store mugs filled with candy to give to teachers, assistants or others.

Perhaps you can bake extra cookies or goodies to make a special treat platter. Or your and your kids can get together and make some simple Christmas crafts, cards or ornaments to pass out.

There are plenty of frugal ways to spread the Christmas cheer without spending a ton of money, especially if your Christmas budget is so tight to begin with. It’s so important to be realistic with the set amount of money you have to work with.

What are you best tips for planning your Christmas budget now?

Want to plan an Intentional Holiday Season?

Full calendars, finances, family conflict, and consumerism can pull us away from the real reason we celebrate the holidays. It’s easy to get trapped in the mindset of trying to plan the “perfect” holiday but sometimes our vision of perfection doesn’t match our reality. How do we approach the holiday season so we can enjoy it and still feel refreshed? Join us as we identify what matters most so you can plan a holiday season that is intentional and full of memories!

Does creating a Christ-Centered home feel overwhelming?

It doesn't have to be!

Join our community and get the encouragement & guidance you need to find real joy & purpose in your homemaking today! To get started, you'll also get my FREE guide: 10 Easy Ways to Create a Christ-Centered Home!

Plus, when you join the Creative Home Keeper community you will join over 5,000 other women (just like YOU) who are becoming equipped to create a Christ-centered home and are transforming their hearts towards homemaking once and for all!

*By joining the Creative Home Keeper community, you agree to ourPrivacy Policy.

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

First Name

Email Address

We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer.

I'd like to receive the free email course. Don't worry, I hate SPAM too & promise to keep your email private. When subscribing you will be receiving encouragement, practical advice, and occasional sale notices. You may unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit

**Affiliate links may be used in this post meaning, at no additional cost to you, if you click through and make a purchase, I receive a commission. You can read my disclosure policy here. Thank you for supporting CHK!
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

I love your tips. I have always started shopping for the next year Christmas the day after back when our list was extremely long. As the years have gone by the list has been cut to 5. I still keep eye out for deals but I always want to be done by Thanksgiving. Less stress and ability to enjoy the true meaning of the season. (I’m already writing my December blog post ahead of time.)

While I no longer Christmas shop, these are excellent tips for those who do. Our family participates in the Advent Conspiracy. You can read about this on my blog in a post titled Christmas in July. Basically, we donate to the recipient’s favorite charity in lieu of Christmas gifts. No matter how you give at Christmas, having a plan in place helps makes things less stressful. We can then focus more on family, fun, and the reason for the season. Great tips!

I’ll have to check that out Heather, sounds interesting. I’m sure once we are out of the “little children” phase I will be eager to look into alternative gift giving options but something that has been on my heart is to implement a simple gift giving system with them so that way they really focus on the true meaning of Christmas without expecting lots of gifts. But it’s still fun as a parent to watch their little faced light up when they open something that they will love. 🙂

We give each of our kids 3 presents. And a stocking. They each make a present to go in the stockings and I make some Christmas goodies to fill them up the rest of the way. That way we get to enjoy the fun of opening presents They are 11-18 months of age. Their presents don’t break the bank and theydon’t get overwhelmed and it isn’t all about the presents. We can center it on what Christmas is about.

That is such a good idea Zan, I love the idea of simple gift giving. It’s still fun and exciting to watch them open something yet it’s not so overwhelming to be receiving so much stuff, and you are right it makes is so much easier to center on what Christmas is truly about. 🙂

you have some great advice 🙂 well, my Christmas shopping is already done 🙂 for everyone 🙂 I buy presents throughout the year… I make Christmas list and set a budget to. This year I decided for gift basket 🙂 For my sister and my brother-in law : chinese cook book, sesame oil and soya sauce. For my parents: mediterranean cook book, olive oil and balsamic vinegar 🙂 Maybe I will ad some lovely plates for each basket.. something simple 🙂
One niece is 5 and the other 14 🙂 well, each will get something for school, something for her room and someting for her hobby.. and that is it.. for the rest of the family: home baked cookies and coffe.
I star planning for next Christmas December 26 🙂 an you are absolutely right: when your mind is set on who to buy for and what, it is easy to look for great deals …

[…] 6 Steps for Planning Your Christmas Budget Now at Creative Homekeeper — Her sixth step is one that no one else has mentioned but could very well be the best part of the whole holiday. Check it out. […]

[…] one pre-Thanksgiving Christmas prep and planning I DO work on is shopping for gifts. I plan my Christmas budget long before the season begins, in fact we set money aside all year long. I use my intentional gift giving guide and scout for […]

Welcome Sweet Friend!

I believe there is freedom in the Gospel to become the homemaker God has created you to be…. Perfection not required!
Read more >>>

Does creating a Christ-Centered home feel overwhelming?

It doesn't have to be!

Join our community and get the encouragement & guidance you need to find real joy & purpose in your homemaking today! To get started, you'll also get my FREE guide: 10 Easy Ways to Create a Christ-Centered Home!

Plus, when you join the Creative Home Keeper community you will join over 5,000 other women (just like YOU) who are becoming equipped to create a Christ-centered home and are transforming their hearts towards homemaking once and for all!

*By joining the Creative Home Keeper community, you agree to ourPrivacy Policy.

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

First Name

Email Address

We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer.

I'd like to receive the free email course. Don't worry, I hate SPAM too & promise to keep your email private. When subscribing you will be receiving encouragement, practical advice, and occasional sale notices. You may unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit

You can have a thoughtful, peaceful, joy-filled and intentional holiday season keeping your focus on what truly matters. Your Intentional Holiday Planning Toolkit is designed to help you navigate through the holiday season & beyond.

Encouragement for Your Heart & Home

Stop Believing the Lies & Find Real Joy in Your Homemaking

Homemaking Resources

Let’s Connect!

Let the Word Come Alive Like Never Before!

Looking for Something?

I Love It When You Share!

Please keep in mind that all images and text on this site are property of Creative Home Keeper and Victoria Osborn. Feel free to use one photo provided that a link back to my original post is included. Please do not remove any watermarks, crop, or edit any of my images without first obtaining written permission from me. All free printables offered are for personal use only. Pinning is always welcome and appreciated! Thank you! See the full copyright here.